Dino Shaped Lunches and Divine Shaped Lives

Dino Shaped Lunches and Divine Shaped Lives

I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand – from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry – forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor!”
Job 42:5-6

Sometimes when I make my kids sandwiches, I cut away the crust and make them into shapes. The sandwich cutter precisely trims the crust and creates a fun shape. I package it in the baggie or serve it on a plate and wipe away the crumbs. It never fails when I do this, my little guy will come to me after school and say, “Thanks for the dino shaped sandwich today!” This small extra step communicates love to my children.

As I read this phrase in Job 42, I couldn't help but think of these fun shaped sandwiches. I would never consider serving my kids a plate with just the crust or the crumbs from the counter, and yet how many of us have woke up to the reality that spiritually we have been living on the crust and crumbs.

We go to church, listen to great preaching, we hear testimonies of the greatness of God and it feeds us. It’s good, but have you ever considered that this is just the crust, that there’s more? So much more! Why do we often settle for the crusts and the crumbs spiritually?

Job came to the stark realization that he had been living on what He had heard. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it was truth. What he knew about God was true, but it wasn’t personal, firsthand experience. He realizes that He had been missing the intimacy, settling for the “crusts of hearsay and the crumbs of rumor”.

I’m sure that none of us want to be satisfied with the crusts and crumbs, but rather we want the real sweet center of intimacy with Christ. I want to take the extra time to get to know him firsthand. I want to walk in obedience, so as to see His faithfulness firsthand, and I want to take the time (as Job said) to “listen, and let Him do the talking”, so I can learn from Him firsthand!

Just as it takes more work for me to make the dino shaped sandwiches for my kids, it takes more work to grow in our personal walk with Christ. Just as my heart shaped sandwiches communicates love to my children, so me taking the time to get to know Christ intimately shows my love for Him.

So, next time we carve the crust off that Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, may we ask ourselves this question, “Have I carved out the necessary time for Christ today, so that I don’t live of the crust, but on the sweet God shaped life that comes from a personal relationship with Christ?” It’s only through this firsthand walk with Christ that He can shape our lives into something beautiful for His glory and for the advancement of His Kingdom.

Lord, thank you for the testimony of Job and how you clearly reminded Him of Who you are. Thank you that we too can know you firsthand and we don’t have to live off of the crusts and crumbs. Thank you that you desire to fill us with the sweetest part of your goodness and shape our lives into something more wonderful than we could imagine all for your glory!



You can read more from Tammy by visiting her on her personal blog at Steps In Our Journey